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Wang B, Shi H, Ren L, Miao Z, Wan B, Yang H, Fan X, Gustafsson JA, Sun M, Xu X. Ahi1 regulates serotonin production by the GR/ERβ/TPH2 pathway involving sexual differences in depressive behaviors. Cell Commun Signal 2022; 20:74. [PMID: 35643536 PMCID: PMC9148486 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-022-00894-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Depression is one of the most common psychiatric diseases. The monoamine transmitter theory suggests that neurotransmitters are involved in the mechanism of depression; however, the regulation on serotonin production is still unclear. We previously showed that Ahi1 knockout (KO) mice exhibited depression-like behavior accompanied by a significant decrease in brain serotonin. METHODS In the present study, western blot, gene knockdown, immunofluorescence, dual-luciferase reporter assay, and rescue assay were used to detect changes in the Ahi1/GR/ERβ/TPH2 pathway in the brains of male stressed mice and male Ahi1 KO mice to explain the pathogenesis of depression-like behaviors. In addition, E2 levels in the blood and brain of male and female mice were measured to investigate the effect on the ERβ/TPH2 pathway and to reveal the mechanisms for the phenomenon of gender differences in depression-like behaviors. RESULTS We found that the serotonin-producing pathway-the ERβ/TPH2 pathway was inhibited in male stressed mice and male Ahi1 KO mice. We further demonstrated that glucocorticoid receptor (GR) as a transcription factor bound to the promoter of ERβ that contains glucocorticoid response elements and inhibited the transcription of ERβ. Our recent study had indicated that Ahi1 regulates the nuclear translocation of GR upon stress, thus proposing the Ahi1/GR/ERβ/TPH2 pathway for serotonin production. Interestingly, female Ahi1 KO mice did not exhibit depressive behaviors, indicating sexual differences in depressive behaviors compared with male mice. Furthermore, we found that serum 17β-estradiol (E2) level was not changed in male and female mice; however, brain E2 level significantly decreased in male but not female Ahi1 KO mice. Further, ERβ agonist LY-500307 increased TPH2 expression and 5-HT production. Therefore, both Ahi1 and E2 regulate the ERβ/TPH2 pathway and involve sexual differences in brain serotonin production and depressive behaviors. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, although it is unclear how Ahi1 controls E2 secretion in the brain, our findings demonstrate that Ahi1 regulates serotonin production by the GR/ERβ/TPH2 pathway in the brain and possibly involves the regulation on sex differences in depressive behaviors. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Wang
- Department of Fetology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215004, People's Republic of China
- Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, People's Republic of China
| | - Haixia Shi
- Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, People's Republic of China
| | - Liyan Ren
- Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhigang Miao
- Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, People's Republic of China
| | - Bo Wan
- Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, People's Republic of China
| | - Hao Yang
- Department of Fetology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215004, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaotang Fan
- Department of Developmental Neuropsychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Jan-Ake Gustafsson
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge, Sweden
- Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Miao Sun
- Department of Fetology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215004, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xingshun Xu
- Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, People's Republic of China.
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215004, People's Republic of China.
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, People's Republic of China.
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Kaur K, Jaitak V. Recent Development in Indole Derivatives as Anticancer Agents for Breast Cancer. Anticancer Agents Med Chem 2020; 19:962-983. [PMID: 30864529 DOI: 10.2174/1871520619666190312125602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2018] [Revised: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 03/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Breast Cancer (BC) is the second most common cause of cancer related deaths in women. Due to severe side effects and multidrug resistance, current therapies like hormonal therapy, surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy become ineffective. Also, the existing drugs for BC treatment are associated with several drawbacks such as poor oral bioavailability, non-selectivity and poor pharmacodynamics properties. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the development of more effective and safer anti BC agents. OBJECTIVE This article explored in detail the possibilities of indole-based heterocyclic compounds as anticancer agents with breast cancer as their major target. METHODS Recent literature related to indole derivatives endowed with encouraging anti BC potential is reviewed. With special focus on BC, this review offers a detailed account of multiple mechanisms of action of various indole derivatives: aromatase inhibitor, tubulin inhibitor, microtubule inhibitor, targeting estrogen receptor, DNA-binding mechanism, induction of apoptosis, inhibition of PI3K/AkT/NFkB/mTOR, and HDAC inhibitors, by which these derivatives have shown promising anticancer potential. RESULTS Exhaustive literature survey indicated that indole derivatives are associated with properties of inducing apoptosis and disturbing tubulin assembly. Indoles are also associated with the inhibition of NFkB/mTOR/PI3K/AkT and regulation of estrogen-mediated activity. Furthermore, indole derivatives have been found to modulate critical targets such as topoisomerase and HDAC. These derivatives have shown significant activity against breast cancer cells. CONCLUSION In BC, indole derivatives seem to be quite competent and act through various mechanisms that are well established in case of BC. This review has shown that indole derivatives can further be explored for the betterment of BC chemotherapy. A lot of potential is still hidden which demands to be discovered for upgrading BC chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamalpreet Kaur
- Laboratory of Natural Products, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda (Pb) -151001, India
| | - Vikas Jaitak
- Laboratory of Natural Products, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda (Pb) -151001, India
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